Angelique Harris

Unpacking Civic Engagement: The Sociopolitical Involvement of Same-Gender Loving Black Women

Employing a national sample of over 600 same-gender loving (SGL) Black women, we explore the relative impact of community-level support/comfort and the importance of sexual orientation and racial identity on two dependent variables—sociopolitical involvement within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities as well as sociopolitical involvement within people of color (POC) communities. Findings indicate that feelings of connectedness to the LGBT community are the most important predictor of sociopolitical involvement within both LGBT and POC communities; while, counterintuitively, being comfortable within the LGBT community had a negative impact. Further, the impact of the importance of identity was negligible.

Belonging and Acceptance: Examining the Correlates of Sociopolitical Involvement Among Bisexual and Lesbian Latinas

This article employs a national sample of almost 400 bisexual and lesbian Latinas to examine the impact of community-level support/comfort, as well as the importance of sexual orientation and racial identity, on sociopolitical involvement. Results indicate that feelings of connectedness to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community are the most important predictor of sociopolitical involvement within both LGBT and people of color (POC) communities. While comfort within the LGBT community had no impact on LGBT sociopolitical involvement, it had a negative impact on POC sociopolitical involvement.

Feelings of Belonging: An Exploratory Analysis of the Sociopolitical Involvement of Black, Latina, and Asian/Pacific Islander Sexual Minority Women

This article compares and contrasts the sociopolitical involvement of Black, Latina, and Asian/Pacific Islander American sexual minority women within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities of color. For the analysis, a sample of over 1,200 women from the Social Justice Sexuality project was analyzed. Findings indicate that, for all groups of women, feelings of connectedness to the LGBT community was the most significant predictor of sociopolitical involvement within LGBT communities of color.

The Sociopolitical Involvement of Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander Gay and Bisexual Men

This paper compares and contrasts the sociopolitical involvement of Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander men within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities of color. We hypothesize that being connected to community, and believing in the importance of sexual and racial/ethnic identity would positively impact mens sociopolitical involvement within LGBT communities of color. Findings indicate that, for all groups of men, feeling connected to the LGBT community was one of the most significant predictors of sociopolitical involvement within LGBT communities of color, but the importance of sexual and racial/ethnic identity was not as powerful a predictor for this sample of men. Similarities and differences between and among the groups are discussed with regard to understanding how community and identity is related to the sociopolitical involvement of Black, Latino, and Asian/Pacific Islander men within LGBT communities.

Connectedness and the Sociopolitical Involvement of Same-Gender-Loving Black Men

Employing a national sample of over 800 same-gender-loving black men, we explore the relative impact of community-level support/comfort and the importance of sexual orientation and racial identity on two dependent variables—sociopolitical involvement within lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities and sociopolitical involvement within people of color (POC) communities. Findings indicate that feelings of connectedness to LBGT communities is the most important predictor of sociopolitical involvement within both LGBT and POC communities; while, counterintuitively, being comfortable within the LGBT community had a negative impact on the sociopolitical involvement of these men. Further, the impact of the importance of identity was negligible.

Intersectionality: Race, Gender, Sexuality, and Class

From its origins in the Black feminist legal scholarship of Kimberle Williams Crenshaw to its contemporary centrality in online activist debates, intersectionality has always signaled both academic insights and activist implications. As a basic definition, intersectionality refers to the ways in which race, class, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, and other locations of social group membership impact lived experiences and social relations. The term emphasizes the mobility of social group identities and locations, not simply of their appearances in individual bodies. This chapter examines intersectionality and how it is used in the social sciences, including research in religion, health, gender-based violence, and interdisciplinary studies. In addition to providing definitions and an overview of the history of intersectionality as a theoretical tradition, this chapter also explores how it has been applied in social science research and methodologies, and recommends that future social science research continue both the academic and activist heritage of the intersectional framework.

The Social Construction of Trafficked Persons: An Analysis of the UN Protocol and the TVPA Definitions

This study is an investigation of the discourse surrounding trafficked persons. The U.S. federal government constructs human trafficking as “illegal immigration” and “prostitution.” As such, it may prioritize punishing those who violate trafficking laws. In order to examine this, a content analysis was conducted examining the United Nations Protocol on Human Trafficking and the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Findings suggest that the way in which these laws construct the meaning of trafficking and the surrounding discourse may be influenced by political agendas and subsequently may also influence the utilization of policies and the allocation of social services.

Lesbians and Tech: Analyzing Digital Media Technologies and Lesbian Experience

ABSTRACT The rise of the popular Internet has coincided with the increasing acceptance, even assimilation, of lesbians into mainstream society. The visible presence of lesbians in the tech industry and in digitally mediated spaces raises a set of questions about the relationship between queer identities and Internet technologies. This introduction to a special issue of Journal of Lesbian Studies explores some of these questions and provides an overview of the articles that follow.

Religion and Spirituality

While challenging stereotypical narratives, this chapter focuses on major themes as it relates to Asian and Pacific Islander LGBT communities: diversity in religious experiences and homophobia.

The SJS Project: Phases of Research

This concluding chapter provides the methodology employed for the completion of the Social Justice Sexuality (SJS) Project. Each of the five phases is delineated, providing more detail about the process. Particular attention is given to the quantitative and qualitative portions.